Q:> My two-and-a-half year-old son has been potty trained for six months without any accidents, but recently he has started to poo in the bath.

The first time we all thought it was a little funny but now it has become a very annoying way of getting our attention. I am fed up with it and find it hard to handle as I know he is doing it on purpose. How can I get him to stop?

A:> Accidents in the bath can and do happen with toddlers and like most situations children can react in a variety of ways, some are frightened, some find it very funny whilst others can be completely disgusted or curious.

You and your son have done really well to succeed in potty training at this age, and to do so with no accidents for six months is fantastic.

But it is important to remember often there are times of setbacks during the second and third year when accidents will happen, or perhaps you may find your son will even regress temporarily to wetting or soiling himself.

This is perfectly normal and there can be many reasons for this - change in family lifestyle, stress, feeling unwell, change in diet or routine. The good news is that in most cases it can be easily and quickly sorted out.

If you all had a good giggle - understandably - when it happened the first time, then perhaps your son really is doing this to try to make you laugh again and be the clown - which most little boys love to do.

However if he has been doing this on a regular basis then perhaps this has now become either his time of the day to go, or the bath water triggers him to go.

Keep an eye out to see if he is going at other times during the day and make sure you encourage him as often as possible when he goes to the toilet.

Make him go on the toilet or potty just before his bath and remind him gently that poos only go down toilets, not in the bath.

If he does have an accident in the bath, keep cool, don't pay any attention to him or react in any way, simply lift him out of the water and carry on with the rest of your bedtime routine.

He will soon learn that if he poos he will get no attention from you and it will also end his bath time. You could even give him a small sticker reward for not pooing, and lots of cuddles and attention when being good.

If you feel he is craving your attention, make sure you give him at least one to two play sessions one-to-one, every day.

It is really important for you to spend some quality time together playing without other distractions, and this will build his confidence, language, imagination and increase his good behaviour and the bond between you both.

Parents' Panel>

Matthew Brown>, from Hartburn, is a chef and dad to Olivia, seven, Louis, 23 months, and Tess, ten months.

"In our experience we have found that the best way of dealing with naughty behaviour like this is not to give them the attention they seek.

"A quick shake of the head, stern eye contact and then looking away seems to be more effective than shouting. You can apply this to loads of different situations.

"Getting your child's diet into a routine can also help. By sticking to this, their bowels get into a routine too.

"Knowing when your child is likely to need to go to the toilet can be incorporated into their life and so you can avoid putting him in the bath at these times."

Debbie McCabe>, of Stockton, is mum to Elle, six, and Finn, eight, she is also franchise and marketing manager for CHIPS video games chain.

"This isn't something that I have come across but I think you need to break this habit quickly.

"I would always put him on the toilet before he goes into the bath and then once he is in it, I would watch for any signs.

"As soon as you see any I would lift him out, firmly saying "No!" and put him on the toilet again trying to encourage him to use it. I'd give great praise if anything happens and then let him go back in the bath.

"If he really enjoys bath time he should soon get fed up of being whipped in and out of the water."

Liz Milburn>, a mature student, lives in Middlesbrough with her husband and daughters Katie, eight, and Alice, four.

"Perhaps sitting in the warm bath water has relaxed him enough and he feels more comfortable there.

"You need to explain to him the right place to do a poo is on the toilet or potty.

"When he poos in the bath, simply lift him on to the toilet, without saying too much and clean up the mess quietly.

"When he does a poo in the right place praise him like you probably did when he was first being potty trained, and hopefully he'll re-learn the right place to do his poos.

"You could also make sure that you put him on the toilet about half an hour after his meal."

Next week's question:>

My six-year-old granddaughter has recently started to act extremely spoilt and obnoxious.

She does not have many friends and can be very spiteful to the other children who live close to us.

Unfortunately her parents have broken up and I feel my son is buying her too many presents and toys instead of dealing with her real issues.

I am worried that my granddaughter will end up very lonely but don't want to make the situation worse, how can I help everyone involved?